Suika Crisis
by Ryo Abstrak
Summary: 'Suika' is missing, and everybody loves 'suika' in the midsummer hot!


Good day, welcome to Kourindou. My name is Morichika Rinnosuke, the shopkeeper of this antique store.  
Today is the peak of summer. Where the temperature is on its highest.  
It's been a while since I'm giving up my ordinary blue robe and only wearing a black t-shirt.

Come to think of summer, there are traditions we usually do in summer. Festivals and such, but on top of it, at least for me, is the food.  
The umeboshi, or dried Plum fruit is my favorite of course, but since I liked it so much I'm run of it.  
And the classic ones are watermelons. If I'm travelling to the village for errands, when I'm crossing a creek, usually I could see 4 to 8 watermelons being cooled off.

Now I have a very funny experience about this watermelon, let me tell you this story.

* * *

Few days ago, it was an ordinary day. I'm behind my desk reading one of my book collections, the one that not for sale of course.  
The day is hot as the hell is leaking. I wish the ghosts would come to here again like the last time. It was sufficient to cool off the entire store.

When I'm continue to read my book, a unordinary guest comes to my store.

"Excuse me?" a little girl voice greeted

"We're in business hour, welcome to Kourindou!" I replied in regular basis

She's turned out to be the youkai that Reimu was defeated last time. The one who her book was taken by Reimu, which is part of my collections now.

"Ah, it's you... it's been a while isn't it?" I tried to be friendly

"Err, yes... Ah, uh..." the girl replied with hesitancy, the wing on her head is flapping.

"Is there anything I could do for you?" I asked

"YES!" She exclaimed "I WANT MY BOOK BACK!" she said

Now it's as I expected.

"I'm sorry, but as I've said before, I'm not intending to return it since it's a part of my goods now... even I'm still judging whether they'll be put inside the items-that-not-for-sell category..." I answered

"But it was my book!" she keep insisting

"I'm sorry, but..."

Another guests comes, this time I know about them quite well.

"Good day, Mr. Shopkeeper!" Kamishirasawa Keine greeted, behind her is Fujiwara no Mokou.

"Ah, welcome to Kourindou!" I welcomed them "What can I do for you both?"

"We're here for something, mind if we browse around first?" Mokou asks

"Oh sure!" I answered "Feel free to browse and search the items you would like!" I stretches my hand to the goods.

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" the little youkai called

"Ah... sorry, but I still can't give it to you for free... If you want it, you could buy it for a reasonable prices..." I told her

"What? Why I must buy for something I've already owned?" she objects

"Well, when it's yours, technically it's mine too... since Reimu gave it to me..." I answer

"Ah! Screw with that! If you're not going to give me that book, I'll read it here! I was at a very interesting part of the book when that red-white attacked me!" the girl pouted and head towards the bookshelf where I've put the entire collections.

She takes the volume that was hers, it was volume 13 to 15. Then she saw a pot where Marisa usually sat on. She sat on it then starts to read it like Marisa usually do. Except Marisa is never read on the spot, she'll take it away shortly.

I've just sighed, at least the problem is half-solved now.

"Ah, mr. Shopkeeper?" Keine called, now I remembered there's another guest here.

"Yes, can I help you?" I answered and walks towards them. They're standing in front of the clothes rack.

"The reason we're here was because Mokou couldn't take the heat anymore by wearing these long pants..." Keine said

"Yeah, being a fire bender in the middle of summer is VERY inconvenient!" Mokou pouts and crossed her hand. She threw away her face.

"So, are you searching for thinner garments? Or perhaps skirts?" I offered

Mokou's face turned red "NO! Do NOT ever, make me wear skirts!" she said.

"Ah, I understand, so... do you want shorts then?" I offered

"Fine too..." she answered.

Fine too, so maybe she has something else in mind. Ah, it's not my business anyway.  
So I searched for few shorts I got from outside world stock. My supplier? You probably already know her.  
The shorts I got mostly made with thin garments, so it's comfortable to wear in summer.

"Here's few pair I had, they were made to be comfortable to wear in summer..." I promoted the items.

Mokou takes a glance at few shorts. There are choices for colors also there's a patterned one.  
After a short while, Mokou takes a red bright shorts that is in a same color with her current pants.

"This pants is not very short, at least is over the knee..." she said "Just need to add amulets for preventing it to burn..."

"So, do you like it?" I asked

"Yeah, It's good, I think I'll take it, but can you do one more favor please?" she asked

"What is it?"

"As I've said before, to prevent this from burning, could you please sew few amulets on it?" Mokou requested

"Ah, of course, please wait a moment while I'm sewing this..."

I walked into my room to get the sewing kit. While I'm returning and passing the kitchen, I remembered there's still two watermelons being cooled in the water bucket. So I'm taking one it and sliced it, then bring it over to the shop to serve it.

"While waiting for me to sew this, here's some fresh watermelons for refreshments..." I offered

"Oh, thank you Mr. Shopkeeper..." Keine thanked. She and Mokou takes a slice each.

* * *

While I'm sewing the amulets to the shorts, a too-regular guest comes.

"Rinnosuke-san! Are you here!?" Reimu opened the door and shouted

"Welcome, Reimu, and please watch your attitude... I don't mind though but there's other people in here..." I welcomed her and advising her.

"Yeah yeah whatever... Hey, have Suika been here? I'm searching for her for the entire morning but I can't find her anywhere..." Reimu asked

"Suika? I haven't seen her..." I answered

"What about you, Keine? Mokou?" Reimu turned to Keine and Mokou.

"Neither us..." Keine Shrugged.

"Ah, that little oni... well thank you anyway, I'll continue to look for her..." Reimu said as she walks out the store.

"What happened to watermelons?" the bird youkai asking. Actually Reimu didn't noticed her.

"No, not watermelons, Reimu was referring Suika, the only Oni who lived on the ground..." I explained to her.

"Oh, I see..." the girl nods and returns to the book.

I've finished sewing the shorts and Mokou takes it. She bought it in actually a higher price than it should, well though I haven't tell her the real price.

The day eventually turned into evening.

"It's begin to dark, until when you've planned to stay here?" I asked the youkai girl. She haven't finished the 14th book, not even half of it but the day is getting darker.

"Not until I've finished this book!" she answered. Still reading. Didn't face me.

"I'm closing up the shop and I don't want to let an unfamiliar girl to sleep with me... under the same roof!" I said to her

"Pervert... When it comes to read I could awake for days, weeks, even months..." the girl answered

Being speechless, I'm just giving up and letting her stay there. So I gave her a lantern for lighting.

* * *

The next day comes, the girl still sitting on the pot, still reading. While I cleans up the shop and preparing the breakfast.

when I'm checking the front yard, well literally my front yard, I saw an extra edition of Bunbunmaru newspaper. Usually I don't read this and making it a cleaning rag. But the headline makes me interested.

"Watermelon Crisis? What kind of news is this?" I said.

It's written in the news that the entire Gensokyo, is now suffered of 'Watermelon Crisis'. Since watermelon is the most favorite fruit in the summer, the amount of people requesting it is very high. Even higher than umeboshi.  
But last night, after Reimu is announcing the 'Missing of Watermelons', the whole watermelons in the field is gone in only one night. Because of this, the only watermelons left are those in the stock at the market. The price of watermelon rises and the crowds began to get anarchy, only for their favorite watermelons.

When I'm walking back inside my store, I've heard a rumbling from the both paths from human village and the forest of magic.  
Humans and youkais are running towards my store. Panicked, I hurriedly get inside and closes the door.

"Hey! There's gonna be a crowds here!" I told the girl.

Too late, the people breaks into my store and asking me a bunch but same questions.

"Mr. Shopkeeper, do you still have any watermelons!?"

I, being panicked and afraid of these crowds, answered "Yes... I have one left..."

"GIVE IT TO ME! I'll GIVE YOU 20 MONME FOR THAT!" A man said

"I'LL TAKE IT FOR 30!" the others said

The price is began to rise and rise into a unbelievable number. A thousand monme only for one watermelon.  
I began to think, even in this crowd.

A tradition is obviously a part of a civilization's biological needs and survival. The example is happened in front of my eyes.  
It's a folkways from ancient times for us, to eat watermelons in the summer. Evoluted in thousands of years, it's turned out into a biological needs.  
If their biological needs being threaten, people will do every way to get that needs.

"EVERYBODY SILENCE!"

The crowd turns into silent. Then, Reimu appears from the crowd.

"What are you people doing?" she asked. Judging from her tone, she's currently angry.

"We're looking for watermelons!" "Yeah!" "There is no summer without watermelons!" the crowds answered.

"What? Why are you doing this? There's still enough watermelons for everyone here!" Reimu said

"Hakurei Miko, didn't you announce about the missing of the watermelons yesterday? it's happened now!" one of the man said

"Yes, I do asking around if anybody have seen Suika around because she was missing from yesterday!" Reimu said

"See?! Watermelons is already vanished from yesterday! Even you're looking for it!" the man said

I poked Reimu's shoulder. "What is it Rinnosuke-san?" she asked.

"Reimu, I think we have a big misunderstanding here..." I told her

"What misunderstanding?" Reimu confused

"Uuuh... Suika with suika (watermelon)?"

Reimu's facepalming.

"Listen up, people... I think we've made a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING!" Reimu said to the crowds.

"Yesterday, I was looking for IBUKI SUIKA! The Oni that usually freeloads at my shrine! NOT WATERMELONS!"

The crowd begins to get noisy. "What? But watermelons suddenly disappeared from the field!"

"For that reason... YUKARI!"

A gap opened on the thin air, and appears Yukari. "You've called?" Yukari asked.

"Remember when I searching about Suika at Hakugyokurou when there's you and Yuyuko?" Reimu asked

"Yes..." Yukari answered

"Do you know who or what I'm referring to?" Reimu asked

"Suika right? That drunk little oni?" Yukari answered

"Yes, and how about Yuyuko? Where is she?"

"Oh, she's still busy eating the watermelons..."

The crowd is silent. While Reimu is facepalming, again.

"She suddenly wants me to gap all of the watermelons in the field before it was too late... I don't know what she means though..." Yukari shrugged

"Gap all of the watermelons back, NOW..." Reimu said "If Yuyuko objects, tell her to do a spellcard duel with me!"

"Alrighty then..." Yukari nods. She returned inside her gap. From the gap, I could hear Yuyuko's voice being crying.

"But Yukariii~ I still want to eat watermelons before they go missing!"

Reimu puts her head inside the gap "THE WATERMELONS ARE MISSING IS BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU GLUTTON GHOST!" she shouts.

"Now, now... I've gaped all of the remaining watermelons back to the field, you've lucky Yuyuko haven't eaten the half of it..." Yukari said while pushing back Reimu's head.

"Well, people? Did you hear her? Go check at the watermelon field and see if the watermelons are enough for you guys!" Reimu said.

The crowds are leaving my store and went to the field. Leaving only me, Reimu, Yukari, and the youkai girl who is still reading.

"Argh, those people gives me headaches..." Reimu rubs her head

"You've lucky this is not a serious incident Reimu..." Yukari said

"A serious incident? Because of watermelons?" Reimu said in disbelief "I'd rather go back to the underground and fight with that three-legged crow again!"

"But, isn't this just hilarious? All of this happened because of you were searching for 'Suika'!" I've said

"Shut up... Yukari, get me home..." Reimu said.

"Okay..." Yukari gaped Reimu.

"Well since I have no business here, I'm out of here... See you next time, Rinnosuke-san!" Yukari waves and disappears into her gap.

Leaves me and the youkai girl.  
Have nothing to do, I've approached the girl, come to think of it, I didn't even know her name.

"Hey, what's your name if I may know?" I asked her

"Feel free to call me Tokiko..." she answered

"Okay, Tokiko, I'm Morichika Rinnosuke..." I told my name to her

"Mhm, nice to meet you..."

"So, you like reading books huh?"

"Yes I do..."

I stand beside her, and discussed about books until we've fall asleep. Actually, it's the first time a girl fell asleep with me.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost.

"Aw! Ackpth! You little!" Mokou grunts while clapping her hands around.

It's summer, in night, obviously, mosquitoes.

"Dammit! Why I even agree to wear shorts!?" she grunts "It's cool to wear shorts, but when the night comes, MOSQUITOES BITES MY LEGS!"

She keep clapping and clapping on mosquitoes until the morning comes.

* * *

A/N :

Hello, this is Ryo here

This is my side fiction, I've made it a one-shot so it wouldn't bother the Shinryaku Project.

Though the title and the concept of this fiction is about Suika and Watermelons A.K.A Suika. Ibuki Suika did not have any appearances here.  
The main concept is obviously based on the pun of 'Suika'. While I'm adding Tokiko for the 'side-inner-story' about their relationship.  
FYI, in Japanese watermelons are 'Suika'.

This fic was made for StevotheHuman's challenge.

I hope this fic will satisfy all the readers.


End file.
